The Hatfield-McCoy Feud

The Feud Begins: 1865

Some attribute the hostilities between the two families to the 1865 murder of Randolph McCoy’s brother Harmon (pictured here), a Union soldier in the Civil War. His death likely was the result of Civil War bushwhacker violence, which was prevalent in the region. Others, however, think McCoy was murdered by Devil Anse’s uncle Jim Vance.